Stranger Danger

Chapter 70: Are There Any Objections?

The Iron Shirt Gang headquarter’s main hall was called the Flowing Cloud Hall. It was where the Iron Shirt Gang usually held their meetings. Right now, the Flowing Cloud Hall was jam-packed with people including the six Hallmasters and the three Keepers.

“Where is the boss, Tao Xian?” An old man whose hair and beard had gone completely white asked. Despite his age, his complexion was a healthy red, his skin was as smooth as a babe’s, and his presence was as indomitable as a mountain. He was one of the three Keepers of the Iron Shirt Gang and a late-stage Qi Invoker. His name was Xu Yuan, the Light Vented Bulbul.

“Please be patient, Keeper Xu. The boss will arrive shortly!” Tao Xian replied calmly while fanning himself.

“‘Please be patient, please be patient.’ You’ve said that half a teatime ago, Tao Xian! When on earth is the boss showing up?” A brawny man with a scar-ridden face yelled impatiently. He was the Hallmaster of the Hundred Wars Hall, Yao Xingjun, the “Ghostface”.

“Hallmaster Tao, you mentioned that an old friend of the boss is visiting today. Can you indulge in my curiosity and tell me who it is?” A seductive woman with an hourglass figure and a beautiful countenance giggled while straightening her bangs. She looked to be around twenty five or twenty six years old, and she was wearing a flowery, form-fitting petticoat. In fact, the petticoat fit her so well that everyone could see her wholesome breasts jiggling to the slightest movements.

Many men in the hall swallowed audibly, but no one was stupid enough to act on their lustful thoughts as a matter of course. It was because the woman was the Hallmaster of the Hundred Flowers Hall and the manager of all the brothels, theaters and entertainment centers owned by the Iron Shirt Gang. She wasn’t just a competent businesswoman, but also an extremely accomplished warrior. She was a middle-stage Qi Invoker, and her name was Ruan Hongluo, the Hundred Flowers Celestial.

“You’ll find out in a moment, Hongluo!” Tao Xian replied in the same tone he used against Yao Xingjun earlier.

“Are you hiding something from us, Tao Xian? The noise and shockwaves did not feel like a mere spar!” A cold voice spoke up next. He was a middle-aged man wearing an ice cold expression and black clothes. His whole body oozed a dark, cold presence that chilled everyone around him to the core. It was also why no one was sitting next to him. He was none other than the Hallmaster of the Punishment Hall, Yin Ju the “Living King of Hell”. He was a late-stage Qi Invoker, and he was responsible for keeping the law and dishing out punishment to those who broke them.

“Please be patient, Hallmaster Yi. The boss will—” Tao Xian began. Yi Jun was even sharper than he imagined. He had probably figured out that something was amiss. Unfortunately, it was already too late!

Before Tao Xian could finish his sentence, a refreshing voice resounded from the entrance, “Everyone’s here? Good! Let’s jump right into it then!”

Then, a young man who wasn’t even twenty yet stepped into the main hall. He was, of course, Ye Qing.

“Who are you? Why are you here?” An old, fat woman with pimples all over her face demanded. She was clutching her walking staff and staring at Ye Qing with an expression that was anything but friendly.

Ye Qing paid her lack of warmth no heed, however. He shot her a sunny smile and said, “Good day to you, Lady Poison. My name is Ye Qing, and my moniker is Joyless! As for why I’m here, I have come to make an announcement!”

Ye Qing swept his gaze across the room as he walked around the center hall. Then, to everyone’s shock except Tao Xian and Jie Chen, he sat down at the main seat and curled his lips into a wicked smile. “Starting today, I’m the new leader of the Iron Shirt Gang! Are there any objections?”

“Are you kidding me? Who the hell do you think—” Yao Xingjun slammed the table and shot to his feet. As the Hallmaster of the Hundred Wars Hall, he was rash and unafraid to voice his opinion to anyone’s face. Unfortunately, that was his first and last mistake of the day. The brawny man abruptly cut himself off and turned beet red in the face. Then, he started shuddering uncontrollably as blood seeped out of every pore of his body.

Bang!

Before anyone could even react, Yao Xingjun abruptly exploded and showered the main hall with bits and pieces of flesh. His blood though, they paused in mid-air as soon as they left his body and condensed into a ball above Ye Qing. It then landed snugly in his palm almost like it was a tangible object.

Clatter clatter clatter!

Obviously, everyone in the hall shot to their feet faster than Ye Qing could say, “Boo!” They instinctively channeled their powers and stared at Ye Qing with varying expressions. Some people looked stunned like their minds couldn’t process what just happened. Some people looked shocked, some people looked terrified, some were puzzled, and some were furious. But no one—not a single one of them—dared to attack Ye Qing for killing one of their own.

Yao Xingjun wasn’t just a late-stage Qi Invoker. As the Hallmaster responsible for all big and small conflicts inside and outside the gang, he was naturally not to be underestimated. His Hundred Wars Saber Art was famed for its deadliness, and he was at least a top four warrior in the Iron Shirt Gang. But forget putting up a fight, he had died before he could so much as draw his weapon. Worse still, no one saw how Ye Qing had done it, and without knowing exactly what kind of martial art the young man had used to kill Yao Xingjun, it was pure folly to act against him!

“Are there any objections?” Ye Qing asked again while tossing the ball of blood in his palm up and down, a playful smile dancing on his lips.

“Gulp…” Everyone swallowed with eerie unison.

For a time, the attendees could only exchange stunned looked with one another until one of the three Keepers of the Iron Shirt Gang, Yan Yuming the “Willow Leaf Sword” let out an angry shout, “You’re dead when my brother comes back!”

A long, willow-thin sword glided out of his right sleeve. Then, he leaped toward Ye Qing and executed a thrust. Textbook his movements might be, the rain of swords that suddenly appeared all around the main hall was anything but. Beautiful yet deadly, they danced all over the place like swaying willow leaves.

“Spring is warm

Until the air shifts

And willow leaves dance in the wind”

Yan Yuming was one of the three Keepers of the Iron Shirt Gang and Yan Tieyi’s younger brother. Naturally, his kung fu was very good. Yan Tieyi often gave him personal lessons and helped him hone his Willow Leaf Sword Art to near perfection. Fast, accurate, ruthless and deadly, there were few people in the Iron Shirt Gang who could best him in a fight.

That was why everyone was surprised when they saw the rain of swords suddenly vanishing into nothing, and Ye Qing catching Yan Yuming’s sword with just a pair of fingers. If they didn’t know better, they would’ve thought that Yan Yuming was putting on an act with the young man. Just how was he able to beat Yan Yuming’s signature attack so easily? He hadn’t moved away from his chair!

They knew the answer. The young man had to be a Vessel Augmentor!

“I’m a good person. Since you wish to see Yan Tieyi that badly, I’ll reunite the two of you right now!” Ye Qing chuckled goodnaturedly and flicked his finger against the sword’s edge. The blade twanged loudly as Yan Yuming’s purlicue abruptly split in half and bled profusely. At the same time, a wisp of force slipped into his body, shook his innards, and disrupted his blood vessels. A pool of blood immediately surged up his throat and burst right out of Yan Yuming’s lips uncontrollably.

Shocked, Yan Yuming instinctively tried to put some distance between himself and Ye Qing. But as soon as he kicked off with his feet, a dark red Blood Shadow appeared behind him and wrapped tightly around his neck. His head tumbled across the air, and another Qi Invoker had died just like that!

When Ye Qing made a grabbing motion, the tumbling head abruptly curved toward him and landed on a nearby table. Then, he called out, “Family should not be separated from one another. Bring it in, Jie Chen!”

Jie Chen immediately walked out of the back room while carrying a wooden box between his arms. When he placed it on the table and removed its cover, the attendees immediately cried out in shock and disbelief.

“Boss!”

“Boss…”

“How…”

Yan Tieyi’s severed head was inside the box. Iron Shirt Yan was a middle-stage Vessel Augmentor and an expert in the Iron Sleeve Art and the Flowing Cloud Force. He was famous throughout Anyang and one of its strongest warriors as a matter of course. But now he was dead, and his bulging eyes were all they needed to see to know that he had not passed away in peace!

“Yan Tieyi wanted me dead, so I killed him first!” Ye Qing said with a smile and rose to his feet. An unbelievably powerful aura immediately washed over the main hall. For a moment, everyone felt suffocated like a rock was sitting atop their chest. In fact, the aura eventually grew so heavy that not even the strongest of them could lift their heads, and the circulation of their true qi turned sluggish. No one could muster even the tiniest will to resist.

He’s not just any Vessel Augmentor, he’s probably in the middle-stage or even… the late-stage!

The thought crossed everyone’s mind at the same time.

“Everyone should pay for their mistakes. Sometimes more, sometimes less!”

Still keeping his aura in the open, Ye Qing said lazily. “I don’t really care about this gang, but I suppose I should take over since I’ve unceremoniously removed your boss. It wouldn’t be fair to the rest of you after all. Are there any objections?”

Tao Xian sensed that it was his time to shine and did not hesitate to butter up his new boss. He bowed deeply and declared, “I agree! Yan Tieyi’s the one who tried to kill you first, so he only has himself to blame for his untimely death! Not only that, you are kind enough to punish only those who would do you harm, while a weaker man would’ve succumbed to his baser fears and taken out our whole gang! Who else deserves our loyalty if not you, Young M—I mean, boss?”

Jie Chen also took a step forward and voiced his support, “I agree. Boss Ye isn’t even in his twenties yet, but he’s already a Vessel Augmentor. His future is bright and limitless. It is our fortune to be able to become his subordinate.”

The monk was speaking from his heart. He had been obsessed with martial arts since he was young, and there was no one he respected more than a champion. In the past, that person was Yan Tieyi, and now it was Ye Qing.

“Haha. I agree. I don’t care who becomes the gang boss as long as the silver keeps flowing into the coffers!” Ruan Hongluo let out a giggle before staring at Ye Qing with deep interest. She didn’t seem afraid of him whatsoever!

“I agree…”

“I agree…”

“I agree…”

Since Tao Xian, Jie Chen and Ruan Hongluo had set an example, the rest of the attendees followed suit as well. It did not matter if they meant their declaration. It was that, or suffer the same fate as Yao Xingjun and Yan Yuming.

“Good. I’m glad that most of you are intelligent people!” Ye Qing nodded in satisfaction and finally withdrew his aura, causing everyone to sigh in relief. “From today onward, we are one big family. Please, take your seats!”

When everyone had returned to their seats, he continued, “Since Yao Xingjun and Yan Yuming are dead—oh, I almost forgot. Shi Jiang is dead as well, and their positions need to be filled as soon as possible. In my opinion, Jie Chen should become the new Hallmaster of the Hundred Wars Hall and a Keeper, and Tao Xian should replace Shi Jiang as the Hallmaster of the External Affairs Hall. Yes, I’m aware he’s already managing the gang’s intelligence gathering and relations as the Hallmaster of the Hall of Secrets, but I’m sure he can handle two responsibilities at the same time. Are there any objections?”

Everyone: “...”

If we object, will you kill us?

Meanwhile, Tao Xian and Jie Chen could hardly control their excitement. Their gamble had been extremely risky, but in the end it was the right call. Now that Tao Xian was managing two halls at once, there were few people in the gang who could match his new status and power. Besides that, the Hall of External Affairs was one of the gang’s most profitable halls. So his pockets were going to be heavier than ever before.

As for Jie Chen, he really should’ve been made the Hallmaster of the Hall of Hundred Wars a long time ago. However, he could never go higher beyond the vice Hallmaster position because there were people who were jealous of his talent. Now, he was both a Hallmaster and a Keeper. One might say that he had finally gotten what he deserved.

“Thank you, boss!” The duo saluted him deeply. Ye Qing waved them away before adding,

“As for the rest of you, there will be no changes. You will carry out your tasks and responsibilities as normal.”

“As you command, boss!” The others also saluted Ye Qing. They were relieved. It was pretty common for a new boss to shuffle things around and make them cough up some sort of tribute to prove their loyalty, but Ye Qing hadn’t asked anything of the like at all, and he could’ve since he could probably kill them all singlehandedly. Assuming he wasn’t playing the long game, this was actually… an okay turn of events?

Many people started looking at their new boss in a new light. Noticing that his carrot-and-stick tactic had worked, Ye Qing smiled and said, “We’re one big family now. So long as you do your job well and remain loyal to me, I promise I will treat you just as fairly!”

“We appreciate your benevolence, boss!” Everyone said in unison.

“One more thing. I want all of you to keep quiet about the fact that Yan Tieyi is dead, and the gang has gotten a new boss. What happened today stays within these four walls.”

“Understood!” No one understood why he wanted this, but they agreed to his request all the same.

With that done, Ye Qing rose to his feet and got ready to leave. When he was passing by Lady Poison though, he suddenly said, “Lady Poison, you know it’s a bad habit to poison people willy-nilly, right?”

The woman turned deathly pale and jumped away from him.

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